Hong Kong graduate job vacancies slashed by 55% due to COVID-19 and protests

Job opportunities for fresh grads in Hong Kong have taken a big hit with the dual impact of last year’s civil unrest and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

It’s a tough job market for many in city – and beyond – right now but our youngest and brightest are experiencing especially challenging times.

Hong Kong’s main online job portals are all showing a significant down trend for graduate job vacancies.

According to recruitment website JobsDB, for example, there were only around 20,000 vacancies for Hong Kong graduates from January to April this year – 55% less than the same time last year. Job ads fell 31% from March to April, while 15% fewer companies were looking to hire, it was revealed in the SCMP.

“But this time, the social unrest has also affected job prospects, especially with protests happening over several months last year, and expected to last at least until the Legislative Council elections later this year,” she said.

Chow added that last year, graduates earned an average monthly of around HK$16,000 but that entry salary levels were expected to drop by 10 to 20% in 2020.

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